Improvement in car-couplings



M. D l SN EY.

Car-Coup'l i ngs. NO. 140,124. Patenredlune24.l873.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MORDEGAI DISNEY, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF,

HENRY O. KIBBE, AND JOHN D. HILDRETH.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGIS.4

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,124, dated June 24,1873 application filed.

January 9, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MOR-DECAI DISNEY, of Oakland, in the county ofAlameda and State of California, have invented an Improvement 011Railway Oar-Gouplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and eXact description of the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings and to the letters marked thereon.

My invention relates to certain improvements upon a car-coupling, forwhich Letters Patent were granted to me, and dated December 3, 1872; andit consists mainly in a novel construction and arrangement of a platewhich is placed in the top of the pin-holder, and so balanced that whenthe link enters the opening in the bumper-head it will slightly raisethe head of the pin, and thisl will act upon the plate and depress therear end of it.

A short pin moves vertically beneath the rear end of this plate, andthis pin is depressed by the action of the plate. The lower end of thispin is beveled so that the angular part will act upon the upper end ofthe forked lever Vwhich serves to operate the pin-holder and the pin,and thus insure the coupling of the cars under any circumstances,whether the cars are crowded together or not.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanationot' my invention, Figure l is a perspective view of my coupling. Fig. 2is a longitudinal section, showing my improvement. Fig. 3 is an enlargedview of the plate and the opening in the head of the pin-holder in whichit lies.

A is the bumper-head slotted vertically to admit the sldiugbar B, whichis provided with a horizontal head or projection, C, to serve a-s aholder for the pin D, as described in my former specification. The bar Bis ele# vated and held in place with the pin, ready for coupling by thearm E, of the forked lever F; and this lever is moved by the crank-shaftor arm, G, as shown.

In my former patent the entering link was caused to strike the roundedend of the arm H of the lever F, and thus disengage the arm E, and allowthe bar and pin to fall 5 but I now employ an oscillating plate, I, forthis purpose.

This plate is placed in a depression, J, in the top of the horizontalarm (l, as shown, and has its center so balanced, by being curved upwardor made thicker in the center than at the ends, that it can tip ineither direction in the cavity. One end of this plate lies over the headof the pin D, while the rear end is just above another small pin, K.This small pin extends downward into the cavityin which the forked arm Emoves, and when the bar and pin are raised the arm F stands just underthe pin K. i

The operation will be as follows When the link is entered to thebumper-head for the purpose of coupling the cars, it will pass under therounded end of the coupling-pin D, and thus raise it slightly. Thisaction tilts the movable plate I in its cavity, and the rear end of theplate pressed down upon the small pin K, and forces it down against theend of the arm E, of the forked lever. The lower end of the pin K isbeveled off, as shown, so that when pressed down it acts to throw thearm E forward, and thus release the bar B, and allow it to fall andcarry the coupling-pin through the link.

This device insures the coupling of the cars under all circumstances,and when the cars are in such relative position that my other devicemight sometimes fail of its object.

A plate, L, is secured over the opening J, and serves to protect andretain in place the pins D and K, and also the plate I.

. Having thus described my invention, what,

I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The pin K, with its beveled lower end constructed to operate upon thearm E of the lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The oscillating plate I and the pin K, in combination with the pin D,constructed to operate substantially as and for the purpose described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

MORDEGAI DISNEY. [L. s]

Witnesses:

(l. W. M. SMITH, PHILIP MAHLER.

